Ruptly
"Nestled in Guangzhou's Baiyun District, the Xuelei Fragrance Museum is a monumental tribute to the world of olfaction. Spanning 9,500 square metres, the five-storey architectural marvel, designed to resemble a giant perfume distillation machine, is officially certified by Guinness World Records as the largest fragrance museum in the world. Inside, the museum blends 4,000 years of aromatic history with cutting-edge technology across 18 thematic galleries, bridging the gap between ancient Chinese incense and the modern global perfume industry, featuring over 3,000 scents. Footage captured on Thursday highlights both its modern exterior and the engaging interior layout. Visitors can experience interactive exhibits, such as a robotic arm moving small sample containers along an automated conveyor belt, or ‘scent funnels’ mounted on the walls, allowing them to smell raw ingredients while studying historical scrolls and botanical artefacts on display tables. “From an architectural standpoint, the building itself is quite impressive. It really provides us with a new kind of experience. Usually, if you want to find a perfume, you have to go from counter to counter, but here you can smell many different independent scents. I think it's a very good feature,” said visitor Dundun. In the ‘Ancient Chinese Incense Gallery,’ guests explore displays that explain the history of traditional fragrances. Many lean in to inhale scents from stations adorned with floral murals. A dimly lit circular sensory room invites visitors to immerse themselves in a unique aromatic experience. A semi-circular wooden cabinet displays hundreds of different perfume bottles, reminiscent of a vintage apothecary or ‘scent organ.’ Dundun added, "In this museum, I found scents that I had never smelled before, like 'dragon’s blood' incense. These independent, pure scents are very rare to find." "This museum is different from others I usually visit. It’s focused on the sense of smell, allowing you to constantly sniff and experience different aromas. I found the whole experience very novel and refreshing,” noted fellow visitor Can. A highlight of the museum is the AI-powered perfume blending experience. Visitors use a digital scent card to log their emotional and physical reactions to various aromas. An AI system analyses these preferences to generate a personalised ‘scent journey report’ and creates a custom, bespoke perfume on-site in under three minutes. The building’s red-brick structure, featuring eight cylindrical volumes of varying scales, was recently included in the prestigious Prix Versailles list of the World’s Most Beautiful Museums."
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